What "car wash" are you currently using?
09-05-2023, 04:37 PM
#1
Drifting
Thread Starter
What "car wash" are you currently using?
Yesterday, I was washing one of my cars and stumbled upon a great car wash concoction. I mixed Optimum No Rinse (about 2 oz.) with Meguiars Gold Class car wash (4 oz.) in a five gallon bucket. The resulting wash solution was perhaps one of the best I have ever used. It was ultra slick providing what seemed like great lubricity and the wash towel stayed super clean throughout the wash - unlike when using ONR alone. I'm not a huge Maguiars fan (at least not for cars that I really care about) and have never used their Gold Class wash on its own, so I don't know how much using the ONR as a booster improved the results.
For the past few years, I have been washing with ONR (either mixed in a spray bottle as a type of quick detailer or used in a bucket as normally directed), after first rinsing the car, and I've been happy with the results.
I know car enthusiasts wash their cars in many different ways. Some like to use a traditional two-bucket wash method while others just use a quick detailing spray. However, this new car wash concoction that I made got me wondering what everyone else is currently using to wash their cars.
For the past few years, I have been washing with ONR (either mixed in a spray bottle as a type of quick detailer or used in a bucket as normally directed), after first rinsing the car, and I've been happy with the results.
I know car enthusiasts wash their cars in many different ways. Some like to use a traditional two-bucket wash method while others just use a quick detailing spray. However, this new car wash concoction that I made got me wondering what everyone else is currently using to wash their cars.
09-05-2023, 06:55 PM
#2
Burning Brakes
CarPro Reset, 2 bucket method, nothing crazy. Simple, reliable, and I can't find anything better...or at least I've run out of energy trying to find anything better. LOL.
The following users liked this post:
BoxKing (11-02-2023)
09-06-2023, 11:03 AM
#4
Question, is a product like CarPro Reset (applied after the wash and dry) something you should use? Or does it provided actual value?
I'm new to the hand wash/dry/detail game and trying to learn what's of real value vs. just more stuff to buy that's not needed. I guess I'm old school in that I thought you simply washed your car and then waxed it every few months!?
I'm new to the hand wash/dry/detail game and trying to learn what's of real value vs. just more stuff to buy that's not needed. I guess I'm old school in that I thought you simply washed your car and then waxed it every few months!?
09-06-2023, 09:57 PM
#5
Adams Car Shampoo.
09-07-2023, 09:50 AM
#6
Rennlist Member
Question, is a product like CarPro Reset (applied after the wash and dry) something you should use? Or does it provided actual value?
I'm new to the hand wash/dry/detail game and trying to learn what's of real value vs. just more stuff to buy that's not needed. I guess I'm old school in that I thought you simply washed your car and then waxed it every few months!?
I'm new to the hand wash/dry/detail game and trying to learn what's of real value vs. just more stuff to buy that's not needed. I guess I'm old school in that I thought you simply washed your car and then waxed it every few months!?
Applying WAX is definitely old-school, but some like the process, though its virtually the same method as applying a SEALANT, which I prefer, and can be used as a topper every few washes to renew the coating.
You can certainly find yourself falling victim to buying too many products when doing your research. My tip for you would be to start off with a good soap, and paint sealant - total cost of both (size pending) ~$50. Last tip, when using a sealant, or basically any spray product. Less is more, and its best practice to do two light coats vs. one heavy. This combined with a solid spray bottle will conserve the product for many uses.
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TBK911 (09-07-2023)
09-07-2023, 11:21 AM
#7
Reset is a PH Neutral car wash soap, and from my experience, hands down the best.
Applying WAX is definitely old-school, but some like the process, though its virtually the same method as applying a SEALANT, which I prefer, and can be used as a topper every few washes to renew the coating.
You can certainly find yourself falling victim to buying too many products when doing your research. My tip for you would be to start off with a good soap, and paint sealant - total cost of both (size pending) ~$50. Last tip, when using a sealant, or basically any spray product. Less is more, and its best practice to do two light coats vs. one heavy. This combined with a solid spray bottle will conserve the product for many uses.
Applying WAX is definitely old-school, but some like the process, though its virtually the same method as applying a SEALANT, which I prefer, and can be used as a topper every few washes to renew the coating.
You can certainly find yourself falling victim to buying too many products when doing your research. My tip for you would be to start off with a good soap, and paint sealant - total cost of both (size pending) ~$50. Last tip, when using a sealant, or basically any spray product. Less is more, and its best practice to do two light coats vs. one heavy. This combined with a solid spray bottle will conserve the product for many uses.
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09-08-2023, 06:20 AM
#8
Instructor
Question, is a product like CarPro Reset (applied after the wash and dry) something you should use? Or does it provided actual value?
I'm new to the hand wash/dry/detail game and trying to learn what's of real value vs. just more stuff to buy that's not needed. I guess I'm old school in that I thought you simply washed your car and then waxed it every few months!?
I'm new to the hand wash/dry/detail game and trying to learn what's of real value vs. just more stuff to buy that's not needed. I guess I'm old school in that I thought you simply washed your car and then waxed it every few months!?
There’s a boatload of similar coating maintenance products out there; like anything some are good, some not so good and a few are truly exceptional.
There’s a myriad of car care products out there as well. You can fill your shelves with them but at the end of the day, oftentimes more isn’t always better and a minimalist approach can prove more beneficial than ‘over detailing’; been there, done that & have a mountain of credit card receipts to show for it.
If you like wax, find a nice one, wash your car regularly and hit it with spray wax every now and again to keep it fresh between regular wax applications. If you’re a sealant fan, the same regimen applies with the caveat that you’ll likely apply the sealant less frequently than you would a wax as sealants last longer. Same with ceramic coatings…wash and maintain with appropriate maintenance product. The process for all is generally the same, just using different bottles.
As for shampoos, find a nice ‘pure’ one; pH balanced w no added waxes, polymers or gloss enhancers…no need to muddy the waters. The aforementioned Reset is nice, went through a Reset phase for a while but now using Gyeon Bathe as it does just as well for me both in a bucket as well as coming out of a foam cannon.
The game essentially remains the same, wash…maintain…enjoy.
09-08-2023, 09:30 AM
#9
Rennlist Member
You’re probably actually thinking of CarPro’s Reload, which is a ceramic coating maintenance product that is applied after the wash/dry process. Its value is that it helps keep your coated surface performing at its best. Not applicable to a car that isn’t ceramic coated although it can also be used as standalone protection in place of a wax, sealant or ceramic coating.
There’s a boatload of similar coating maintenance products out there; like anything some are good, some not so good and a few are truly exceptional.
There’s a myriad of car care products out there as well. You can fill your shelves with them but at the end of the day, oftentimes more isn’t always better and a minimalist approach can prove more beneficial than ‘over detailing’; been there, done that & have a mountain of credit card receipts to show for it.
If you like wax, find a nice one, wash your car regularly and hit it with spray wax every now and again to keep it fresh between regular wax applications. If you’re a sealant fan, the same regimen applies with the caveat that you’ll likely apply the sealant less frequently than you would a wax as sealants last longer. Same with ceramic coatings…wash and maintain with appropriate maintenance product. The process for all is generally the same, just using different bottles.
As for shampoos, find a nice ‘pure’ one; pH balanced w no added waxes, polymers or gloss enhancers…no need to muddy the waters. The aforementioned Reset is nice, went through a Reset phase for a while but now using Gyeon Bathe as it does just as well for me both in a bucket as well as coming out of a foam cannon.
The game essentially remains the same, wash…maintain…enjoy.
There’s a boatload of similar coating maintenance products out there; like anything some are good, some not so good and a few are truly exceptional.
There’s a myriad of car care products out there as well. You can fill your shelves with them but at the end of the day, oftentimes more isn’t always better and a minimalist approach can prove more beneficial than ‘over detailing’; been there, done that & have a mountain of credit card receipts to show for it.
If you like wax, find a nice one, wash your car regularly and hit it with spray wax every now and again to keep it fresh between regular wax applications. If you’re a sealant fan, the same regimen applies with the caveat that you’ll likely apply the sealant less frequently than you would a wax as sealants last longer. Same with ceramic coatings…wash and maintain with appropriate maintenance product. The process for all is generally the same, just using different bottles.
As for shampoos, find a nice ‘pure’ one; pH balanced w no added waxes, polymers or gloss enhancers…no need to muddy the waters. The aforementioned Reset is nice, went through a Reset phase for a while but now using Gyeon Bathe as it does just as well for me both in a bucket as well as coming out of a foam cannon.
The game essentially remains the same, wash…maintain…enjoy.
09-08-2023, 10:42 AM
#10
Instructor
@BudgetPlan1 Thx. whats your go to drying towel ?
Used Griots PFM’s for a bit a few years ago but they were just too big; got to be a unwieldy pain as they soaked up water. Bigger ain’t always better! Silk Dryers are juuuuust right!
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gellie (09-08-2023)
09-08-2023, 11:21 AM
#11
You’re probably actually thinking of CarPro’s Reload, which is a ceramic coating maintenance product that is applied after the wash/dry process. Its value is that it helps keep your coated surface performing at its best. Not applicable to a car that isn’t ceramic coated although it can also be used as standalone protection in place of a wax, sealant or ceramic coating.
There’s a boatload of similar coating maintenance products out there; like anything some are good, some not so good and a few are truly exceptional.
There’s a myriad of car care products out there as well. You can fill your shelves with them but at the end of the day, oftentimes more isn’t always better and a minimalist approach can prove more beneficial than ‘over detailing’; been there, done that & have a mountain of credit card receipts to show for it.
If you like wax, find a nice one, wash your car regularly and hit it with spray wax every now and again to keep it fresh between regular wax applications. If you’re a sealant fan, the same regimen applies with the caveat that you’ll likely apply the sealant less frequently than you would a wax as sealants last longer. Same with ceramic coatings…wash and maintain with appropriate maintenance product. The process for all is generally the same, just using different bottles.
As for shampoos, find a nice ‘pure’ one; pH balanced w no added waxes, polymers or gloss enhancers…no need to muddy the waters. The aforementioned Reset is nice, went through a Reset phase for a while but now using Gyeon Bathe as it does just as well for me both in a bucket as well as coming out of a foam cannon.
The game essentially remains the same, wash…maintain…enjoy.
There’s a boatload of similar coating maintenance products out there; like anything some are good, some not so good and a few are truly exceptional.
There’s a myriad of car care products out there as well. You can fill your shelves with them but at the end of the day, oftentimes more isn’t always better and a minimalist approach can prove more beneficial than ‘over detailing’; been there, done that & have a mountain of credit card receipts to show for it.
If you like wax, find a nice one, wash your car regularly and hit it with spray wax every now and again to keep it fresh between regular wax applications. If you’re a sealant fan, the same regimen applies with the caveat that you’ll likely apply the sealant less frequently than you would a wax as sealants last longer. Same with ceramic coatings…wash and maintain with appropriate maintenance product. The process for all is generally the same, just using different bottles.
As for shampoos, find a nice ‘pure’ one; pH balanced w no added waxes, polymers or gloss enhancers…no need to muddy the waters. The aforementioned Reset is nice, went through a Reset phase for a while but now using Gyeon Bathe as it does just as well for me both in a bucket as well as coming out of a foam cannon.
The game essentially remains the same, wash…maintain…enjoy.
Anyway, parts of the car are PPF, so I need to figure out how to care for those areas. I'm a bit OCD but not too bad. The one area that I tend to fall behind on is the interior, just because it requires more detailed work, but my Chemical Guys Interior Cleaner arrived yesterday! :-)
09-08-2023, 11:48 AM
#12
You’re probably actually thinking of CarPro’s Reload, which is a ceramic coating maintenance product that is applied after the wash/dry process. Its value is that it helps keep your coated surface performing at its best. Not applicable to a car that isn’t ceramic coated although it can also be used as standalone protection in place of a wax, sealant or ceramic coating.
There’s a boatload of similar coating maintenance products out there; like anything some are good, some not so good and a few are truly exceptional.
There’s a myriad of car care products out there as well. You can fill your shelves with them but at the end of the day, oftentimes more isn’t always better and a minimalist approach can prove more beneficial than ‘over detailing’; been there, done that & have a mountain of credit card receipts to show for it.
If you like wax, find a nice one, wash your car regularly and hit it with spray wax every now and again to keep it fresh between regular wax applications. If you’re a sealant fan, the same regimen applies with the caveat that you’ll likely apply the sealant less frequently than you would a wax as sealants last longer. Same with ceramic coatings…wash and maintain with appropriate maintenance product. The process for all is generally the same, just using different bottles.
As for shampoos, find a nice ‘pure’ one; pH balanced w no added waxes, polymers or gloss enhancers…no need to muddy the waters. The aforementioned Reset is nice, went through a Reset phase for a while but now using Gyeon Bathe as it does just as well for me both in a bucket as well as coming out of a foam cannon.
The game essentially remains the same, wash…maintain…enjoy.
There’s a boatload of similar coating maintenance products out there; like anything some are good, some not so good and a few are truly exceptional.
There’s a myriad of car care products out there as well. You can fill your shelves with them but at the end of the day, oftentimes more isn’t always better and a minimalist approach can prove more beneficial than ‘over detailing’; been there, done that & have a mountain of credit card receipts to show for it.
If you like wax, find a nice one, wash your car regularly and hit it with spray wax every now and again to keep it fresh between regular wax applications. If you’re a sealant fan, the same regimen applies with the caveat that you’ll likely apply the sealant less frequently than you would a wax as sealants last longer. Same with ceramic coatings…wash and maintain with appropriate maintenance product. The process for all is generally the same, just using different bottles.
As for shampoos, find a nice ‘pure’ one; pH balanced w no added waxes, polymers or gloss enhancers…no need to muddy the waters. The aforementioned Reset is nice, went through a Reset phase for a while but now using Gyeon Bathe as it does just as well for me both in a bucket as well as coming out of a foam cannon.
The game essentially remains the same, wash…maintain…enjoy.
11-02-2023, 02:15 PM
#13
Racer
I'm still working on a gallon of Meg's Gold. Great results. When it's too cold or I want to do a light wash up in the garage, ONR and a couple of buckets.
11-21-2023, 01:35 PM
#14
Rennlist Member
Gyeon Bathe
11-26-2023, 08:19 PM
#15
What about for a weekend car that just gets dusty and has full PPF? I have an old bottle of Ultima Paint Guard Plus that is wipe-on walk away and makes the PPF surface feel super slippery.....but it is about 10 years old so it must be old technology. I guess im looking for a "quick detailer".
edit: it is still being sold so i guess it isnt that old tech...
https://www.autogeek.net/ultima-paint-guard-plus.html
edit: it is still being sold so i guess it isnt that old tech...
https://www.autogeek.net/ultima-paint-guard-plus.html
Last edited by Rod27; 11-26-2023 at 08:21 PM.